Nearly a week after local officials moved fire danger to moderate and removed any fire restrictions, Summit County has received its first snowflakes of the season. On Saturday, Sept. 13, Copper Mountain Resort, Arapahoe Basin Ski Area and Keystone Resort announced that they received their first snowfall of the season, and Breckenridge Ski Resort and Loveland Ski Area followed suit on Sunday. Meteorologists say there’s potentially more snow in the forecast. 

National Weather Service Boulder meteorologist Bernie Meier said dry conditions will likely persist throughout Monday, but late Tuesday afternoon could bring another sprinkling of snow to Summit County’s mountains. 

“People can expect those peaks to probably (turn) to white, especially if things are clearing out later Wednesday and into Thursday morning,” he said. 

As of Sept. 14, all Summit County ski resorts and the nearby Loveland Ski Area reported receiving their first snowflakes. This trails over a week behind last year’s first snow fall, which occurred for some Summit County ski resorts on Sept. 5.

With ski season just around the corner, a westerly flow coming in from the north might bring a dusting of snow to high-elevation areas in Summit, particularly to north-facing areas, Meier said. This could translate to rain in lower elevation areas on Tuesday afternoon. He said things will be a bit cooler Tuesday and Wednesday, with highs in the 60s. 

Wednesday could also bring murky weather, with sporadic showers and a possible thunderstorm in the afternoon, according to the National Weather Service, before skies potentially clear Wednesday night into Thursday. Thursday is expected to remain fairly sunny. Mostly sunny weather will continue into Friday, when things could warm back up to 70 degrees. Friday night has a small chance of thunderstorms, as does Saturday. 

Meier said Colorado’s High Country is starting to come out of its monsoon season, typically lasting from June through September, and is heading into some of the more traditional fall and winter weather patterns. He said while September can bring some surges of moisture coming from the south potentially leading to storms, the daily afternoon showers known to accompany monsoon season may be done for now.

With snow on the slopes, the resorts are gearing up for opening day, which is closer for some than others. Max Winter, senior communications manager for Breckenridge Ski Resort and Keystone Resort, said in a press release Sept. 14 that Keystone Resort plans to open “as early as possible this October,” which is expected to be mid-October. Similarly, Arapahoe Basin Ski Area recently announced it will open as soon as conditions allow. Loveland Ski Area also plans to open as soon as conditions allow. 

Copper Mountain and Breckenridge Ski Resort are set to hold their opening days on Friday, Nov. 7.